__NOTOC__ Alfred Wünnenberg (20 July 1891 – 30 December 1963) was a high-ranking commander in the

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

and the police of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. He commanded the SS Polizei Division between December 1941 and June 1943. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was lower in precedence than the Grand C ...

. On 10 June 1943, he was moved to command the

IV SS Panzer Corps The IV SS Panzer Corps was a panzer corps of the ''Waffen-SS'' which saw action on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans during World War II. History The corps was formed in August 1943 in Poitiers, France. The formation was originally to be a sk ...

, where he remained until 31 August. That same year he became chief of the ''

Ordnungspolizei The ''Ordnungspolizei'' (''Orpo'', , meaning "Order Police") were the uniformed police force in Nazi Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo was absorbed into the Nazi monopoly of power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favour of t ...

'' (Orpo; uniformed police). After the war, Wünnenberg was interned in

Dachau, Bavaria Dachau () is a Town#Germany, town in the Upper Bavaria district of Bavaria, a state in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a ''Große Kreisstadt''—of the Regierungsbezirk, administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about ...

, but was released in 1947.

Ernst Klee Ernst Klee (15 March 1942, Frankfurt – 18 May 2013, Frankfurt) was a German journalist and author. As a writer on Germany's history, he was best known for his exposure and documentation of medical crimes in Nazi Germany, much of which was conce ...

: ''Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich''. Fischer, Frankfurt 2005, S. 687 f. He was a infantry soldier in the Prussian Army from 1913–1919 and an officer in the '' Reichsheer'' from 1921–1930s, and later became an officer and General in the Orpo and Waffen-SS during the 1940s.

Awards and decorations

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

(1914) 2nd Class (10 February 1915) & 1st Class (9 September 1915)Thomas 1998, p. 460. *

Clasp to the Iron Cross Clasp, clasper or CLASP may refer to: * Book clasp, fastener for a book cover * Folding clasp, a device used to close a watch strap * Lobster clasp, fastener for jewellery * Wrist clasp, a dressing accessory * Medal bar, an element in militar ...

(1939) 2nd Class (18 June 1940) & 1st Class (21 August 1941) *

**Knight's Cross on 15 November 1941 as SS-''

Standartenführer __NOTOC__ ''Standartenführer'' (short: ''Staf'', , ) was a Nazi Party (NSDAP) paramilitary rank that was used in several NSDAP organizations, such as the SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK. First founded as a title in 1925, in 1928 it became one of ...

'' and ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

'' of the ''

Schupo The or the ''Schupo'' was the state protection police of Nazi Germany and a branch of the . ''Schutzpolizei'' is the German name for a uniformed police force. The was the uniformed police of most cities and large towns. State police department ...

'', and commander of SS-Polizei-Schützen-Regiment 3Scherzer 2007, p. 798. **Oak Leaves on 23 April 1942 as SS-''

Brigadeführer ''Brigadeführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that was used between 1932 and 1945. It was mainly known for its use as an SS rank. As an SA rank, it was used after briefly being known as '' Untergruppenführer'' in ...

'' and ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

'' of the Police, and commander of SS-Polizei-Division

Ranks in the Orpo and SS

'' Oberfuhrer'' (senior colonel or brigadier) from 1940–1941 '' Brigadefuhrer'' (brigadier-general or major-general) from 1941–1942 '' Gruppenfuhrer'' (major-general or Lt-general) from 1942–1943 ''

Obergruppenführer (, ) was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissioned SS rank after ...

'' (Lt-general or general) from 1943–1945

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wunnenberg, Alfred 1891 births 1963 deaths SS-Obergruppenführer Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves German police chiefs Waffen-SS personnel Ordnungspolizei People from Sarrebourg Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class German Army personnel of World War I German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United States

Awards and decorations

Ranks in the Orpo and SS

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography